In Chapters 2 and 3, MacArthur and Wilson postulate that insular species richness depends on island size and isolation from source regions. The intersection point gives the equilibrial species number. This graph portrays the immigration rate of new species and the extinction rate of resident species versus the number of species present on an island. Given that insular microcosms are common to all ecosystems, principles from island biogeography can be applied generally. Since islands are less complex and more numerous than larger ecosystems, islands provide better opportunities to develop insights and perform replicable field research. In the introductory chapter, MacArthur and Wilson highlight the significance of studying island biogeography. MacArthur and Wilson's ideas were first presented in a paper published in 1963, and were further developed into a book. MacArthur synthesized Wilson's ideas about competition, colonization and equilibrium into a simple graphical representation of immigration and extinction curves, from which one can determine the equilibrial species number on an island. The Theory of Island Biogeography has its roots in Wilson's work on the ants of Melanesia. The book also popularized the concepts and terminology of r/K selection theory. The book popularized the theory that insular biota maintain a dynamic equilibrium between immigration and extinction rates. The Princeton University Press reprinted the book in 2001 as a part of the "Princeton Landmarks in Biology" series. It is widely regarded as a seminal piece in island biogeography and ecology. The Theory of Island Biogeography is a 1967 book by the ecologist Robert MacArthur and the biologist Edward O.
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